Apparatus for treating hides.



No. 807,030. PATENTED DBO. 19, 1905'. F. B. HINKsoN.

APPARATUS FOR TREATING HIDES.

APPLIOATION FILED DBO. 27. 1004.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1l No. 807,930. PATENTED DEG. 19, 1905. P. B. HINKSON.

APPARATUS FOR TREATING HIDES.

APPLICATION FILED DEG.27. 1904.

Z SHEBTS-SHBBT 2.

fig-

means of which the foregoing objects are at- NITED STATES iwrnrrr` OFFICE.

FRANK B. HINKSON, OF NEWCASTLE, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR OF TW O-THIRDS TO JOSEPH M. FLANNERY AND JAMES J. FLANNERY,

OF PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

APPARATUS FOR TREATING HIDES.

Application filed December 27,

To all whom t may concern,.-

Be it known that I, FRANKB. I-IINKSON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Newcastle, in the county of Lawrence and State of Pennsylvania, have invented new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Treating Hides, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to apparatus for treating hides.

The principal objects of the invention are to cause an electric current to pass transversely through a hide while submerged in a suitable treating solution and to permit the direction of said electric current to be reversed at suitable intervals.

The liereinafter-described apparatus by tained is particularly adapted for use in connection with the improved process of treating hides, which forms the subject-matter of a separate application iled concurrently herewith.

In the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, wherein is illustrated one practical embodiment of the improved apparatus of this invention, Figure 1 is a longitudinal vertical section of the improved apparatus used in carrying the abovementioned process into practice. Fig. 2 is a plan view thereof. Fig. 3 is an end eleva'- tion. Fig. 4 is a transverse vertical section through the construction shown in Fig.1. Fig. 5 is a plan view of a convenient form of mechanism for reversing the direction of the electric current at suitable intervals, the tank containing the unhairing or tanning solution being shown in section. Fig. 6 is a vertical section through the mechanism illustrated in Fig. 5. Fig. 7 is a side elevation of a suitable contacting-wheel.

In describing the apparatus illustrated in the drawings like characters of reference are employed to designate corresponding parts in the several views.

The reference-i'iunierals 1 indicate suitable legs, on which is supported a tank 2, having a removable cover 3. Disposed within the tank 2 are longitudinally-extending bars 4, which, preferably, are secured in any suitable manner to the side walls of the tank. The longitudinal bars 4 serve to support a plurality of transversely-extending bars 5,

Speccaton of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 19, 1905.

1904. Serial No. 238,353.

which are arranged at suitable intervals, as shown in Fig. 4, and are adapted to support hides, such as 6, said hides preferably being folded over the bars with the hair side out,

although, if desired, the hides may be hung' with the hair side in.

Attached to the ends of the tank 2 are brackets, such as 7, by which are supported longitudinally-extending rods 8 and 9, said rods being suitably insulated from the brackets 7. The rod S is provided with a plurality of collars 10 1 1 12, from which depend rods 13 14 15, which extend through suitable insulating-bushings 16 and serve to support electrodes 17 1S 19. The rod 9 is provided with a plurality of similar collars 20 21 22, from which depend rods 23 24 25, which pass through suitable insulating-bushings, such as 16, and serve to support electrodes 26 27 28. .Each of the rods S and 9 is provided on one of its ends with a brush-casing, such as 30, which is held in place by means of aset-screw 31 and is formed with a bore adapted to receive acoilspring 32, acting against a brush 33 ,which rests against a wheel 34, formed of suitable nonconducting material. The non-conducting wheel 34 is provided on its periphery with a plurality of segmental contact-plates 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, and 40. The segmental contactplates 35, 37 and 39 are connected, by means of conducting strips or wires 41, with a contact-sleeve 42, which is mounted upon one end of the hub of the wheel 34, and the segmental contact-plates 36, 38, and 40 are connected by similar conducting strips or wires 43 with a contact-sleeve44, mounted upon the other end of the hub of the wheel 34. The wheel 34 is mounted rigidly upon a shaft 45, which is j ournaled inV a bracket 46, connected with the end of the tank 2, said shaft 45 being rotated by means of a belt-wheel or similar device 47, to which rotation may be imparted in any suitable manner. Pivotally mounted upon arms 48 49, connected with the bracket 46, is a pair of brushes 50 51, which contact, respectively, with the sleeves 42 and 44. The brushes 50 and 5l are electrically connected with wires 52 53, which are connected with any suitable form of battery or generating device. (Not shown.) The function of the mechanism last described is to reverse the direction of the electric currents passing between the several electrodes connected inthe tank 2. As the wheel 47 is rotated in any suitable manner one of the brushes 33 will contact with one of the segmental plates of the wheel 34 at the same time that the other brush 38 is in contact with another of the segmental contacting plates. As the wheel 47 rotates the direction of the electric current passing through the rods 8 and 9 and through the electrodes in the tank will be reversed. It will be understood from the foregoing description that the several electrodes in the tank are connected in multiple.

From the foregoing it will be apparent that one or more of the hides in the tank 2 is arranged between two electrodes, and by reason of the fact that the electrodes are parallel with the hides the electric currents will be caused to pass transversely therethrough. Furthermore, by reason of the fact that the direction of the electric current is reversed at suitable intervals and the positive electrode is consequently shifted from one side of each hide to the other both sides of each hide are subjected to the same amount of treatment.

It is found in practice that hides treated with the apparatus of the present invention are possessed of superior qualities as to durability, pliability, and appearance.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is 1. An apparatus for treating hides having a tank, hide-supporting means therein, a plurality of pairs of electrodes arranged in the tank, the electrodes of the same polarity being connected in multiple, and means for ree versing the direction of the electric current passing through said electrodes.

2. An apparatus for treating hides having a tank, a plurality of hide-supporting bars in said tank, a plurality of pairs of electrodes arranged in parallel relation with the hidesupporting bars, the electrodes of the same polarity being connected in multiple, and means for reversing the direction of the electric current passing through said electrodes.

In testimony whereof I aihx my signature in presence of two witnesses.

FRANK B. I-IINKSON. Witnesses:

B. E. D. STAFFORD, Cr-rAs. W. SEIBOLD. 

